‘Jeopardy!’ Ken Jennings Gives Champion Ultimate Compliment
Jeopardy! champion Alex DeFrank had an incredible four-game run as the champion. While it was later revealed that all four of those wins were recorded on the same day, with his eventual loss coming at the end of that day, DeFrank played an almost spotless game in those first four wins. It was enough for Ken Jennings to give him the ultimate compliment.
Here is a look at DeFrank’s winning streak and what Kennings had to say about the four-day Jeopardy! champion.
What Did Alex DeFrank’s Jeopardy! Winning Streak Look Like?
Alex DeFrank won four games in a row on Jeopardy! He not only won those games, but he ran away with them and completely dominated his opposition. While he was blown out in the fifth game, ending his run, he was so good in his four wins that he might be a legitimate threat at next year’s Tournament of Champions.
His first win was televised on Friday, March 14. In that episode, Jack Goldfisher was a one-day champion ($34,401). However, it wasn’t a close game, as Alex won with $42,401 (Jack had $8,400). On Monday, Alex had much fewer winnings, only finishing with $14,000. However, his opponents finished with $1,800 and zero.
On Tuesday, Alex finished with his third win in a row. This time, he had $19,199 while his opposition had $4,489 and $2. The fourth win came on Wednesday when he finished with $26,800. Alex headed into Thursday with $102,400, but then he lost in what was his fifth consecutive game recorded on the same day.
However, his Jeopardy! game play was enough to impress Ken Jennings.
Ken Jennings Compliments Alex DeFrank’s Jeopardy! Game Play
After Alex DeFrank’s big wins, Ken Jennings had nothing but compliments for the four-day champion. Ken even offered up what might be the biggest compliment he could offer any player. He compared Alex to himself.
“At one point while taping, Ken said when cameras weren’t rolling that Alex really impressed him and even said that Alex reminded him of himself,” some source at the tapings said (via The U.S. Sun). “He made a comment after Alex’s first game that he played like him during his original run.”
The source said that Ken was very impressed with Alex’s play during the game. He seemed excited and made comments that he would like to see Alex go far in the competition. “Alex seemed extremely moved by the high praise and even a little emotional after winning and hearing the kind words,” the source said.
Ken Jennings had a 74-game winning streak during his time on the show, winning $2.52 million. No one has ever won as many games in a row as Ken. However, Jennings ranks second in all-time winnings behind Brad Rutter, who won a total of $4,370,700 over his time on Jeopardy! (including tournaments).
What are your thoughts on Alex DeFrank’s four-game winning streak on Jeopardy!? Do you think he could have had a long-term streak if not for having to play five games in a row on his first day on the show? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
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